Interior space dividing wall systems as used in offices and the like typically incorporate a plurality of interconnected portable wall panels which often permit accessories such as worksurfaces, storage units and other devices or structures to be mounted thereon. The wall panels generally include an interior upright frame which mounts, frequently releasably, cover pads or tiles on one or both sides thereof. The cover pads are typically provided with an outer cloth or fabric covering to provide the wall panel with a desirable appearance. Such cover pads require an internal supporting and rigidifying structure which may be defined by a rigid sheet of material such as metal, particle board, mineral board or the like, and/or an internal frame similar to an open picture frame. The internal structure of the pad then has the external face thereof covered with a thin sheet of flexible fabric or similar covering material. The flexible covering is also typically wrapped around the edges and corners of the internal structure. The covering is then secured by clips or adhesive to the internal structure.
Cover pads having constructions similar to those described above are well known, but as is well recognized in this industry, such pads possess structural and manufacturing complexities which cause the construction of such pads to be undesirably inefficient and costly, and which also result in the pads having a less than desirable appearance, particularly at the corners.
More specifically, the attachment of the flexible covering, i.e. the fabric, requires significant manual manipulation to effect aligning and stretching of the fabric across the exposed face of the internal structure. And, the wrapping and securing of the fabric around the edges is further complicated by the necessity of folding and inwardly tucking the excess fabric which exists at the corners, which operation generally requires significant manual handing of the fabric and often results in fabric wrapped corners of inconsistent quality and hence less than desired appearance. In addition, the internal structure of the pad and the typical requirement for an internal frame cause the pad to have an undesired number of parts which increases manufacturing complexity and cost.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to improvements associated with cover pads for use on upright walls, which improvements simplify the construction and manufacturing of the pad so as to overcome or at least minimize some of the disadvantages associated with presently known pads.
More specifically, the pad of this invention provides an improved internal support which is of simplified construction, for example the center support and the surrounding frame being made of a one-piece monolithic support structure, which permits the flexible covering, such as fabric, to be attached to the center support and the exterior side surfaces of the edge frame while the fabric and support structure are in a flat and planar condition, following which the edge frame is folded and secured into position around the center support. The internal support structure for the pad, when in a flat condition, has voids at the corners so that the covering can be easily tucked into the corners prior to the edge frame being folded into its closing or frame-defining position.
Other advantages, objects and/or purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with constructions of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following descriptions for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “inwardly”, “outwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.